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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump owed $19.8 million to South Korean firm Daewoo while president, according to Forbes.</li><li>The firm has historic ties to North Korea.</li></ul><p>Former President Donald Trump owed $19.8 million to South Korean conglomerate Daewoo while serving as president, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2022/12/04/trump-owed-hidden-debt-while-in-office/?sh=32bd58aeb30e">Forbes reported.</a></p><p>Documents obtained by the New York attorney general's office, and shared with Forbes, showed that Trump had a previously unreported liability to South Korean company Daewoo when he took office in January 2017. </p><p>According to the report, the sum was paid back five months after Trump became president, but he did not list the debt in financial disclosure filings while running for office in 2016.</p><p>Trump acted with some urgency to pay off the debt after becoming president, Forbes said, after the debt remained more or less static between 2011 and 2016.</p><p>Trump may not have acted illegally in not disclosing the debt, with candidates only required to list personal liabilities, not all of those held by companies they own.</p><p>But the debt would have sparked conflict of interest concerns.</p><p>Daewoo was the only South Korean company allowed to operate in North Korea during the 1990s.</p><p>Insider has contacted Trump's office for comment.</p><p>Trump's ties with Daewoo go back to 1997, when he partnered with the firm to build the Trump World Tower near the United Nations building in New York City.</p><p>The debt stemmed from "an agreement Trump struck to share some of his licensing fees with Daewoo," Forbes reported.</p><p>Daewoo used Trump's name on six buildings it constructed in South Korea, and loaned Trump a total of $24 million for business projects in Saint Vincent, the Grenadines, Brazil, Florida, Arizona, Canada, and Chicago.</p><p>Trump frequently bragged about his close relationship with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-talked-good-relationship-with-kim-jong-un-2024-announcement-2022-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un while president,</a> and held two summits with the leader. But the meetings resulted in no significant diplomatic concessions, and North Korea has continued to develop its weapons programs and threaten its neighbors with missiles. </p><p>On Monday, a jury in New York began its deliberations in a trial in which Trump's umbrella company, the Trump Organization, is accused of evading taxes by gifting employees valuable perks in lieu of salary. </p>

Trump had a $19.8 million loan from a South Korean company he kept hidden when he became president, documents show

Chandigarh, Jul 6 () The Haryana government on Monday decided to grant moratorium to the realty industry on compliances and interest payments for seven months to September 30 for all existing projects.          <p> Moratorium period shall imply that such intervening period from March 1, to September 30, will be considered as "zero period", an official statement said after the state cabinet meeting. </p><p> The permission or payment cases for which moratorium will be allowed include Letter of  Intent for CLU (Change of Land Use) as well as licence cases, licence and CLU validity, license renewal and CLU extension, payment of fee and charges, bank guarantee and deed of declaration as per Haryana Apartment Ownership Act, 1983.        In another decision, the state cabinet also gave approval to bring Ordinances to amend the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and the Factories Act, 1948 to empower the Haryana government to grant exemption from certain provisions of the Acts for a period of 1000 days to a new establishment or undertaking or any class of new establishments. </p><p> "The draft of the Industrial Disputes (Haryana Amendment) Ordinance 2020 that will be brought before the Council of Minister in its the next meeting shall help industry to adapt and rise to new economic realities swiftly. </p><p> This Ordinance will also help in increasing investment and providing employment opportunities to the workforce," said an official statement after the cabinet meeting.      </p><p> The statement said the State Government is keen to provide concessions to the new establishment or new undertaking or class of new establishments for next 1,000 days to help them get their business on track by relaxing certain provisions of the labour laws for the purpose of increasing investment and providing employment opportunities to the workers in today's competitive era.        </p><p> The Cabinet, while touching upon the Ordinance to be brought to amend the Factories Act, said the State Government has decided to provide concessions to the new factories for 1,000 days to help them get their business on track by relaxing certain provisions of the labour laws for the purpose of increasing investment and providing employment opportunities to the workers in today's competitive era.       The Haryana Cabinet also gave approval for one-time settlement scheme to enable recovery of long pending dues on account of External Development Charges (EDC) called "Samadhan se Vikas". It is modeled on the Central scheme of "Vivad se Vishwas-2020".   </p><p> The scheme shall be applicable in respect of full amount outstanding on account of the EDC as well as interest and penal interest. This was announced in the State Budget 2020-21 by the Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, on February 28.      In case a colonizer deposits 100 percent of the outstanding principal amount against EDC as well as 25 percent of the accumulated interest and penal interest, within a period of six months from the date of notification of this scheme, the balance 75 percent of the accumulated interest and penal interest shall be waived.      </p><p> In case a colonizer deposits at least 50 percent of the outstanding principal amount against EDC as well as 50 percent of the accumulated interest and penal interest, within a period of six months from the date of notification of this scheme, the balance 50 percent of the accumulated interest and penal interest shall be waived.       </p><p> The remaining 50 percent of outstanding principal amount shall be recoverable in four six-monthly instalments along with interest at the rate of 8 percent per annum on the delayed period and an additional 2 percent interest per annum on the default period. </p> The first six months period for deposit of first installment shall start from the date of deposit of 50 percent principal plus 50 percent interest and penal interest component. SUN VSD MR MR

Haryana extends relief to COVID-19-hit realty industry

<ul><li>The radio industry has been grappling with decreasing ad spends on the medium.</li><li>In wake of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> outbreak, <keyword id="8947255" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-association-of-radio-operators">the Association of Radio Operators</keyword> for India has written to the government seeking a bailout package.</li></ul><br />The Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI) has written a letter to the government seeking a bailout package, in view of the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on the industry. In the letter, the industry body has requested the government to consider the concession requests it had made in December 2019.<br /><br /> Considering a lot of brands are cutting back on spending on media, the industry body is expecting the radio industry, that is already grappling with decreasing ad spends, to be further impacted. And to seek a government intervention, AROI President <keyword id="1637280" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anurradha-Prasad">Anurradha Prasad</keyword> has written this letter to Union minister of information and broadcasting <keyword id="119642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prakash-Javadekar">Prakash Javadekar</keyword> on March 16.<br /><br /> As of now, the industry body has asked for a three-pronged bailout package. Speaking about the request <keyword id="2688166" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nisha-Narayanan">Nisha Narayanan</keyword>, Director &amp; COO, RED FM and Magic FM said, “The industry has collectively asked for a three-pronged bailout package till the economy stabilizes. This included a one-year moratorium on all licence fees and charges by the government and <keyword id="139640" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prasar-Bharti">Prasar Bharti</keyword>, and restoration of government advertising on radio, besides clearing the long-pending payments from the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity. We hope that the government helps restore normalcy in this sector in these desperate times.”<br /><br />Emphasizing on the criticality of the request from AROI to the government at this juncture, Abraham Thomas, CEO, Big FM said, "The FM Radio business was already reeling under the effects of the cut in Ad spends by advertisers including Government with most players expected to degrow by -20% this fiscal. Covid19 crises has put additional pressure on us to invest behind uninterrupted business continuity services. Ad spends on the other end has completely dried up. Radio is a fixed cost business and directly/indirectly employs close to 20,000 employees. The impact of all this is going to be huge."<br /><br /> For the past few years, advertising on radio has seen a decrease. Even advertising from government that used to account for 10% of the industry’s revenue, has cut down on its spend on the medium. That, coupled with the Coronavirus crisis, has further hit radio ad spends. The aim of this bailout package is to bring about some relief for a lot of stations that are planning steps for cutting cost, including cutting down on staff.<br /><br />The primary asks of the AROI from the government, points out Thomas, are as follows:<br /><ul><li><strong>Increased Spending: </strong>Government which used to account for almost 15% of the Radio Business, has decreased spends by over 70% in the last year alone. Spends at this time will help rally the citizens together and keep the communication live, local and credible.</li><li><strong>Clearing Overdue Outstanding payments: </strong>Over 6 months of Govt. outstanding payments are due and clearing the payments now will be a big relief for the industry.</li><li><strong>Defray Costs: </strong>A waiver on License fees, Prasar Bharti rentals, reduction in GST rate and moratorium on payment of GST, on Loan &amp; interest pay-outs are some of the requests made by the AROI to the government.</li></ul><br />

Association of Radio Operators for India writes to the government for a bailout package

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Lucy Nicholson/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">YouTube Vice President of Product Management Matthew Glotzbach unveils their new paid subscription service YouTube Red</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Reports indicate YouTube will make another attempt at creating a paid music service to compete with Spotify and Apple Music.</strong></li><li><strong>Previous YouTube subscription services were uninspired and never made much impact. </strong></li><li><strong>Analysts say that's because there's no motivation for Google to "put its shoulder" into a paid service when there's so much money in ads.</strong></li><li><strong>Some music industry big shots say YouTube is doing more to improve the relationship with the music industry.</strong></li></ul><p>YouTube plans to launch yet another "Spotify-killer" music streaming service at its annual Google I/O developer conference, according to reports. If history is any guide, we shouldn't expect much in the way of innovation from the new paid service, or more importantly, anything too disruptive.</p><p>Back in December, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-07/youtube-is-said-to-plan-new-music-subscription-service-for-march">Bloomberg reported that YouTube</a> and parent company, Alphabet Inc., planned to launch the site in March. A more recent report from Droid Life says that a new service, perhaps called "<a href="https://www.droid-life.com/2018/04/24/youtube-remix-google-play-music/">YouTube Remix</a>," will debut around May 8, when Google's developer conference gets under way. A YouTube spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.</p><p>Regardless of when the new service arrives, we've seen this scenario play out before. Following tense licensing negotiations with the music industry, YouTube and parent company Google typically make a series of concessions. These usually include YouTube agreeing to launch a new service supposedly designed to persuade users to pay for songs.</p><p>Then, the service promptly falls behind the sector's leaders, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/0/best-music-streaming-services-apple-music-spotify-amazon-music/">Spotify and Apple</a>, languishing there until the next round of negotiations. Meanwhile, YouTube, the world's most popular source of music, continues to rumble on, banking big ad dollars. </p><p>Google Play Music came along first, in 2011. Then YouTube Music Key emerged in 2014, which was turned into <a href="https://www.youtube.com/red">YouTube Red</a>. That service is still around and offers an ad-free experience, for music as well as any other kind of YouTube video. Not one of these services has done much to challenge Spotify as the leader in the space, multiple music industry sources say.</p><p>One reason the music sector is so keen on transforming YouTube into a paid music service is that after a long dry spell Spotify, Apple and other subscription sites are leading a modest revival.</p><p>The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said global music revenues rose by 8% in 2017. That's the third year of positive growth after a staggering 15-year run of declines. Still, to expect YouTube to "put its shoulder" into creating a legitimately competitive paid music service is senseless, said Mark Mulligan, director of MIDiA Research and a longtime digital-music analyst.    </p><p>"[The record labels] say 'Look, you got to be in the subscription business,' even though the subscription business is a complete contradiction to YouTube's core business," Mulligan said. "YouTube makes money by selling <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> and advertisers want to reach the best consumers. So, if you go and lock the best consumers behind a [paywall] you're diminishing your core product and the core product is a high margin product."</p><p>Mulligan said that whatever music service may come out of I/O, he thinks it's "going to be a continuation of the same thing."</p><p>The upcoming service certainly doesn't sound very different, judging from Bloomberg's story. Quoting unnamed sources, the news agency reported that it would offer "Spotify-like on-demand streaming and would incorporate elements from YouTube, such as video clips."</p><p>At stake for the big music labels is more than the money that a YouTube paid service might generate. If YouTube doesn't wall off some of its free music content, then users have no motivation to ever pay either YouTube or Spotify. The labels have long accused YouTube's ad-supported, free-to-listen business of stymieing growth to paid music services, which are more lucrative for them.</p><p>For years, the labels have tried to force YouTube to pay more to license music. They argue that the site pays too little, relative to the size of its audience. Typically, the big music companies find themselves in a weak negotiating position because of copyright law.</p><p>YouTube is protected from liability for infringement committed by users. This means that if the labels don't license the music to YouTube, the site's users will just post videos themselves to the site. Then, the labels must go through an arduous, and costly process to remove the clips. </p><p>The big record companies have long claimed that YouTube exploits this during licensing talks. They say YouTube's leaders adopt a take it or leave it approach. If the labels don't accept YouTube's offer, the site's managers tell them they can remove their videos and then try policing the site for pirated songs, according to the labels. Executives from the record companies say they have learned that licensing YouTube -- even at below-market rates --makes more sense.</p><p>But the record companies may have a little more leverage now. The European Union is trying to determine whether negotiations over licensing fees between artists and YouTube-esque sites are too one-sided in favor of the sites. Under a proposed plan that is due to be voted on later this year, YouTube could eventually be forced to fork over more money.</p><p>Any decision in Europe would only affect YouTube there, but it would create an unfavorable precedent. Judging from the far less combative language coming from music industry leaders, YouTube is coming around, at least a little.</p><p>"I feel that YouTube is starting to make more of an effort with the music industry," said David Israelite, President and CEO of the National Music Publishers' Association, who has been one of YouTube's chief critics. "But they still have a long way to go with the actual royalties they pay. What's most important is fair compensation."</p><p>But Mulligan, the analyst, says that by forcing YouTube to be something akin to a retailer is a missed opportunity.</p><p>"Sooner or later, the music industry must realize YouTube plays a massively important role," he said. "And its role is the future of radio, not the future of Tower Records."</p><p> </p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Google stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/GOOG-Quote"> here.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fakeapp-lets-people-make-fake-videos-deepfakes-2018-4">Face-swapping videos could lead to more 'fake news'</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Music industry insiders say Google doesn't stand a chance against Spotify and Apple in streaming music

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>With a Trump presidency on the horizon, the Federal Communications Commission's long-contested plan to shake up the set-top box market appears to be dead.<p>Earlier this week, Republicans in Congress urged FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to avoid looking at any contested policy issues until President-elect Trump, whose administration is expected to be <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-fcc-net-neutrality-zero-rating-policy-future-2016-11" target="_blank">far less open to telecom and cable industry regulation</a> than the current one, takes office.</p><p>In a letter sent to Wheeler on Wednesday, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) requested the FCC to not direct its resources to "complex, partisan, or otherwise controversial items" that the Trump administration or forthcoming Republican-majority Congress will "have an interest in reviewing."</p><p>Representatives Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.) sent a <a href="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/111516-FCC-Presidential-Transition.pdf" target="_blank">similar letter</a> (via <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/11/after-trumps-election-gop-tells-fcc-to-halt-controversial-rulemakings/" target="_blank">Ars Technica</a>) on Wednesday, noting how Democrats in Congress made a <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/a6da544d-1de8-453d-8c48-d26b685ddad5/749F4D15CC2B6A4DCA7BC9EABC4ADDD3.20081212-waxman-rockefeller-letter-to-martin.pdf" target="_blank">comparable request</a> of the FCC just before President Obama took office in early 2009.</p><p>Later that day, the FCC complied, deleting all of the major items scheduled for its monthly Open Commission Meeting on Thursday. Those items included votes on funding to expand mobile broadband networks, lowering price caps on small businesses reliant on telecom company <a href="http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db1007/DOC-341659A1.pdf" target="_blank">special access lines</a>, and requiring TV networks to <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-16-37A1.pdf" target="_blank">expand the availability</a> of audio descriptions for the blind, among others.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>As a result, <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2016/11/november-2016-open-commission-meeting" target="_blank">Thursday's meeting</a> lasted less than 10 minutes. Wheeler explained that any item opposed by one commissioner was dropped.<h2>How the FCC wanted to kill the cable box</h2><p>That leaves Wheeler's plans for cable box reform in serious doubt. Though Wheeler said the FCC will "keep trying" to come to a consensus, Republican Commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O'Reilly have consistently objected to Wheeler's proposals, and they will soon have the backing of Congress and the White House.</p><p>The FCC would not say if its decision to delete objected items at Thursday's meeting will apply to the set-top box proposal as well, merely noting that it will remain "under consideration on circulation."</p><p>The Commission first voted to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fcc-cable-box-vote-2016-2" target="_blank">end cable company control</a> over the set-top box market in February. At the time, Wheeler wanted cable and satellite companies to give their programming information to third-party streaming device makers, who would then be able present pay-TV content on their boxes, through their own user interfaces.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>So, instead of needing to rent a cable box - which <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/1/27/11589108/its-time-to-unlock-the-set-top-box-markethttp://www.recode.net/2016/1/27/11589108/its-time-to-unlock-the-set-top-box-markethttp://www.recode.net/2016/1/27/11589108/its-time-to-unlock-the-set-top-box-market" target="_blank">Wheeler has claimed</a> to cost the average American household $231 per year, though that figure <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/technology/276969-the-obama-administration-is-misleading-consumers-on-set-top-box" target="_blank">has been disputed</a> - you would have been able to watch cable TV through a Roku, Apple TV, and the like.<p>The proposal won the approval of President Barack Obama, but did not go over well with the cable industry, which cited concerns over piracy, disrupted licensing deals, and technical challenges. It also threatened the billions of dollars in revenue the industry makes from set-top box fees each year.</p><p>After months of objections, Wheeler <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fcc-cable-box-new-proposal-apps-2016-9" target="_blank">issued a revised plan</a> in September, which made a number of concessions to industry concerns. Instead of giving pay-TV content to a Roku or Google, cable and satellite companies would only be mandated to make that content available in apps for major streaming platforms, which they would have full control over. The actual look of cable TV wouldn't need to be any different; you just wouldn't be forced to rent a separate box to watch it.</p><p>However, even though Wheeler's revision was based on a counterproposal presented by the cable industry earlier in the year - and even though several cable companies have made their content available in apps as it is - the cable industry has objected. This is largely due to a provision that would let the FCC set a universal license, instead of letting pay-TV companies negotiate licensing rates with streaming device makers on a case-by-case basis (thus allowing them to ask for more cash from some than others).</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>This was enough to force the FCC to delay its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fcc-kill-cable-box-vote-delay-2016-9" target="_blank">vote on the issue</a> later that month, as Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel expressed doubts over those licensing terms. No official progress has been made since.<h2>Where a Trump FCC goes from here</h2><p>Now, it appears the cable industry will win out. Though Wheeler is technically allowed to stay on as Chairman through 2018, the Trump administration will be able to name a successor upon assuming the presidency.</p><p>Furthermore, a <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fcc-idUSKBN13B2P8?il=0" target="_blank">Reuters report</a> earlier this week cited two FCC sources that said the Commission is not expected to vote on the set-top box proposal going forward.</p><p>Meanwhile, consumer advocacy groups like Public Knowledge are <a href="https://www.publicknowledge.org/documents/public-knowledge-letter-to-president-elect-donald-j.-trump" target="_blank">already urging Trump</a> to follow Wheeler's lead on the issue.</p><p>Wheeler said on Thursday that he is "committed to a smooth transition," but that he has not picked a departure date yet. If he were to remain with the FCC beyond January, it would likely be as a Commissioner - something that's at least possible, after a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/11/17/senate-democrats-are-targeting-their-own-at-the-fcc/" target="_blank">Washington Post report</a> said that leading Senate Democrats want to block the reconfirmation of Rosenworcel, whose term ends at the end of the year.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>That could leave Trump's FCC in a state of deadlock for a few months, but eventually it will have a 3-2 Republican majority. Though Trump has said little about the set-top box issue specifically, this means it's very <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/regulations/" target="_blank">likely to oppose</a> federal oversight where it can.<p>To that presumed end, Trump has appointed Jeffrey Eisenach, an economist and former telecoms industry consultant, as the head of his transition team's telecoms- and FCC-related policy. Eisenach has been a general proponent of <a href="http://www.nera.com/content/dam/nera/publications/2016/NERA_GSMA_Full_Report.pdf" target="_blank">light-touch telecoms regulation</a> in the past, defending controversial practices like <a href="http://www.nera.com/content/dam/nera/publications/2015/EconomicsofZeroRating.pdf" target="_blank">zero-rating</a>, and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/02/04/regulate-internet-providers/dont-make-the-internet-a-public-utility" target="_blank">opposing Wheeler's landmark decision</a> to treat the internet as a public utility, which is the basis of the current <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-the-fccs-net-neutrality-vote-really-means-2015-2" target="_blank">net neutrality rules</a> that force internet service providers like Comcast and AT&amp;T to treat all content equally.</p><p>Speaking about Trump's potential telecoms approach <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?417422-1/communicators-roundtable-technology-priorities-next-administration&amp;start=1622" target="_blank">on C-SPAN last month</a>, Eisenach said, "I think, in general, taking his broader views on regulation into account, you would expect him to appoint to the FCC one who would be inclined to take a less regulatory position."</p><p>It all strongly suggests that the federal government won't be telling cable companies to change their tack going forward. If the cable box does go away, don't expect the FCC to be the ones pushing it out the door.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/xiaomi-new-mi-mix-better-than-iphone-2016-10">The 'Apple of China' just unveiled a phone that's more powerful and better looking than the iPhone</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5tamMwNzE6XQnLV5ixV8UUd-PSbdYX4A" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

It looks like Republicans have shot down the FCC's plan to kill the cable box

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters / Brendan McDermid</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Roku's future is in <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword>, and it wants to own as much of the connected TV ad ecosystem as possible.</strong></li><li><strong>That's leading Roku to throw its weight around with publishers and advertisers - borrowing tactics from the "walled garden" playbooks of Google and Facebook.</strong></li><li><strong>The streaming TV company has a strong position. But Amazon is gaining steam with Fire TV and could build an equally powerful 'OTT' ad infrastructure.</strong></li></ul><p>Roku has made it very clear of late. The company best know for selling inexpensive hardware to help cord-cutters stream video on their TVs <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rokus-revenue-is-shifting-from-hardware-to-ads-2018-5">sees its future as an advertising company.</a></p><p>And to secure that future, Roku is playing hardball with partners and advertisers, say people who work directly with the company.</p><ul><li>Specifically, it wants to control as much of the advertising infrastructure on its devices (and smart TVs that employ its software) as possible, including the data used to target people with ads as well as the data derived from individual apps.</li><li>Roku would also like to sell as much ad inventory on Roku apps as it can.</li><li>And generally speaking, Roku would like ads and apps and tracking mechanisms to be built using Roku's proprietary technology. In other words, they want things to work their way.</li></ul><p>Over the past few months, Roku has gotten more demanding with some partners, people familiar with the matter say. This aggressive elbow-throwing is rubbing some the wrong way, as it smacks of classic "walled garden" behavior, the kind of "it's our platform/our data/our rules" muscling that Facebook and Google are known for.</p><p>Roku is a crucial player in the very nascent 'OTT' ("over the top") ad space, but it's hardly got the clout Facebook or Google have in digital advertising. In fact, Amazon is coming on strong in this market, <a href="https://www.techhive.com/article/3247798/streaming-hardware/amazons-fire-tv-boss-were-beating-roku-and-were-still-doing-smart-tvs.html">as sales of its Fire TV product surge. </a></p><p>Still, Roku is seen as having a huge early lead in OTT ads. And for now, that means it can throw its weight around. </p><p>"They are the biggest player in the space," said Jason Burke, VP of strategic development at Clypd, an ad tech firm that work with big TV networks. "So they can somewhat get away with having equal or higher walls than those other guys."</p><p>The stakes are huge. As Google has demonstrated, the company that controls how ads are delivered, tracked, targeted and sold can play a massive, if not dominant role in how a market evolves.</p><p>Whoever can do that in connected TV would seemingly have a massive opportunity.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Stringer</span></p><p class="caption">An employee arranges discarded televisions at a newly opened electronic waste recycling factory in Wuhan, Hubei province March 29, 2011</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Connected TV is seen as the holy grail of advertising</h2><p>While linear TV viewing continues to slide, causing advertisers to pull back on traditional TV ad spending, 'OTT' is seen as holding huge potential for the ad business.</p><p>True, loads of people use Rokus and Apple TVs and Amazon Fires to stream non ad supported content from the likes of Netflix, Amazon and HBO. But ad-supported OTT is growing fast. as more people stream sports on apps for networks like ESPN or NBC or binge scripted shows on apps for networks like AMC or FX.</p><p>The video ad tech firm Innovid says that this past May was the first time it tracked more ads delivered on TVs than on desktops. Of all the video ad inventory Innovid sees, 27% of it is being delivered on smart TVs, up from roughly 10% 18 months ago.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>eMarketer</span></p><p class="caption">OTT consumption is on the rise</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The great promise of 'OTT' ads is that they theoretically combine the best of TV and digital <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword>. That is, these ads appear on big TV screens in the living room, offering advertisers large canvas and sight, sound and motion to get their messages across.</p><p>And because they're delivered over the internet, OTT ads can theoretically use data and targeting to deliver individualized messages to consumers.</p><p>The industry is a long way from fully supporting that reality, but the growth is promising.</p><p>According to eMarketer, TV ad spending in the US is expected to slip by 0.5% to $69.87 billion this year.</p><p>Meanwhile, OTT spending is on the rise. Roku's US ad revenue is projected to jump by 93% this year to $293 million, per eMarketer. Again, relatively small, but growing fast.</p><p>It helps that Roku, thanks to its 20 million-plus users, has a commanding share of the ads delivered, according to the analytics firm <a href="http://www.pixalate.com/">Pixalate</a>.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Pixilate</span></p><p class="caption">Roku has a dominant share of OTT advertising</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>The Roku Advertising Framework</h2><p>In many ways, Roku is a device company that is also an ad tech company. It has built a proprietary platform, the Roku Advertising Framework, <a href="https://sdkdocs.roku.com/display/sdkdoc/Roku+Advertising+Framework">designed to help publishers make money and advertisers to reach OTT viewers effectively.</a></p><p>As part of that framework, <a href="https://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2014/10/15/roku-makes-video-ad-push/">Roku sells ads for many of the publishers on its platform</a>. In fact, in its most recent earnings report, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rokus-revenue-is-shifting-from-hardware-to-ads-2018-5">Roku's 'platform' business accounted for 55% of its revenue.</a></p><p>In some cases, Roku insists on selling 30% of a publishers ad inventory for an app if they want to be distributed on Roku devices. There's even talk in the industry that Roku may look to charge smaller publishers for distribution. Roku declined to comment on that point. </p><p>Not every publisher agrees to this type of arrangement. Hulu, for example, doesn't let Roku sell any of its ad inventory. But many others, like Pluto TV, Tubi TV, and Crackle do.</p><p>Plus, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/roku-adding-free-news-2018-4">Roku has its own channels that carry ads.</a></p><p>And in recent months, Roku has pushed for more concessions from its publishers, while also not keeping them in the loop on changes, say partners.</p><p>"They have a tendency to own as much as they can," said one app executive. "Partners do not like working with them. They do try to strong arm. And they are very important."</p><p>Maybe that's just good business, others argue.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Roku has built the only good ecosystem in the connected TV space," said Tal Chalozin, CTO and cofounder at Innovid. "They've enabled monetization and have done an amazing job. So they deserve a lot of credit. And they charge a nice fee for it."</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>WinAbode</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2><strong>Roku bills itself as publisher friendly</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scott Rosenberg, Roku's SVP, Advertising, said that Roku has worked hard to build an ad ecosystem that works well for publishers. He pointed to the company's work with Nielsen and other third party researchers as evidence that Roku tries to deliver on its partners' needs.</span></p><p>"Contrary to a lot of platforms, we are very invested in making sure that our pubs are successful," he said. "That's a differentiator. A lot of other platforms don't offer marketing tools to help them grow their audience, for example."</p><p>To be sure, there are media companies that are very pleased with their Roku distribution.</p><p>"I think we're really progressive,"<span style="font-weight: 400;">Rosenberg</span> said. </p><h2>Who's data is it anyway?</h2><p>Consumer data - whether it's who people are, what they do on the web, their age, sex, location, shopping preferences - is the lifeblood of digital advertising. It's what makes Google (who knows what you search for) and Facebook (who knows what you like) so powerful.</p><p>So whichever company controls the data that is used to target and track what goes on in OTT should have huge clout.<strong><br /></strong></p><p>Roku would like it to be Roku.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Universal Pictures</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"They have to win this battle," said a top ad buyer. "If they can force the ad community to rely on their identifier, they can make money on every single ad on the platform."</p><p>Specifically, Roku wants publishers and advertisers using its anonymous device ID rather than other sources. And every time a person visits an app, a different device ID is generated. So marrying up data across apps is difficult, as is connecting the dots with what consumers do on other platforms.</p><p>For publishers, this means that Roku often knows more about how people consumer their content than they do. </p><p>For apps like Hulu, or NBC Sports, users likely og in to use these apps. So these companies are able to collect decent viewership data. But for many other publishers, they're relying on Roku's permission to extract data on viewing patterns or audience makeup. Some say you can pay to get access to more data.</p><p>That's led to tensions on some fronts.</p><p>"What this potentially does is it ties an arm behind the media seller's back," said one ad sales executive.</p><p>"There attitude is, 'if y<span style="font-weight: 400;">ou don't like it you're off the platform,' said one media CEO. "</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">A lot of people don't like them."</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides battles over ad sales control, some larger media companies wonder whether Roku appreciates the role that media companies play in its success. "We're helping them sell a number of devices," said one media executive.  Yet with these tech companies, "there's con</span>stant disregard for the value of IP."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Roku</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Identity is the key to Roku's future</h2><p>Advertisers want to be able to use all sorts of data, including their own customer files, to target people with ads. For instance, a bank might want to run certain ads at people that are already customers and different ads aimed at prospective customers.</p><p>These kinds of brands also want to evaluate ad campaigns across channels, so they know how many people they reach on TV, the web, and other channels, and how often they reach the people they are trying to target.</p><p>Ad buyers say Roku doesn't make that easy. "Looking holistically across ad campaigns is a huge challenge in this space," said one ad buyer. "They've never been willing to help."</p><p>And some contend that Roku may hide behind user privacy concerns in keeping some advertiser' data needs at bay.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What we've seen lately is that Cambridge Analytica plus GDPR is giving big powerful places the license to be walled gardens," said Tracey Scheppach, CEO of Matter More Media, which specializes in targeted TV ads.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A walled garden stance may limit Roku's growth over time.</span></p><p>"I applaud Roku, they've put a lot of effort into building an ad platform," said Michael Bologna<em>, </em><span>President of </span>one2one<span> Media, which specializes in advanced TV advertising. "Siloed single approaches only last so long and go so far."</span></p><p><span>Roku for its part doesn't agree that its been difficult to work with when it comes to data or targeting. Rosenberg said the company has demonstrated a willingness's to integrate with outside research firms and ad tech purveyors to help brands reach the targets they want.</span></p><p>At the same time, Roku won't compromise on its customer relationships.<span><br /></span></p><p>"This is about h<span style="font-weight: 400;">onoring a customer," Rosenberg said. "</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our data never leaves our house. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">We're very, very protective of it. We d</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ont want to sidestep user preferences. That's our g</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">uiding light, that the consumer is in control."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"One of the most basic challenges marketers face in an increasingly fragmented market [is reconciling data across devices]," he said. "It's a h</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ard problem, and we d</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">on't have a short answer for it."</span></p><h2>Amazon is coming</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Emily Driscol / BonSci Films</span></p><p class="caption">Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO and richest person in the world, eating an iguana.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Roku's position may just be really good business. The company sees an asset it uniquely controls, and it's looking to make the most out of that advantage. Again, much like Google and Facebook do.</p><p>The difference here is that Facebook and Google's market shares are much more defensible. Roku's growth has been a terrific story. <a href="https://www.techhive.com/article/3247798/streaming-hardware/amazons-fire-tv-boss-were-beating-roku-and-were-still-doing-smart-tvs.html">But Amazon's Fire TV product is stealing share fast.</a></p><p>And while ad buyers say that Amazon's TV ad business has been nascent, the company is working on its own OTT ad network, say people familiar with the matter. </p><p>As its demonstrated in the past, once Amazon gets serious about something (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/advertising-amazons-fastest-growing-segment-2018-4">like say, digital advertising)</a>, watch out.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The picture is changing so fast due to Amazon," said one digital publisher. "</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Roku is under huge pressure."</span></p><h2>What's next for Roku?</h2><p>Roku's ride as a public company has been up <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/roku-q4-2017-earnings-revenue-2018-2">and down</a>. The company's recent embrace of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rokus-revenue-is-shifting-from-hardware-to-ads-2018-5">advertising seemed to please Wall Street.</a> Yet continuing its growth won't be easy, as Amazon and other contenders like Samsung push for market share.</p><p>Meanwhile, when it comes to OTT advertising, the industry's two dominant players won't stand pat. Could Google or Facebook ever make a play to acquire Roku?</p><p>It's purely speculative in this case, but buying Roku might be an easy entry point into the nearly $70 billion TV ad market - a market both companies crave cracking. </p><p>"Roku has ad tech and ID, but it also has relationships with TV networks that Google, Facebook and Amazon don't have," said Clypd's Burke. "A buyer would inherit that."</p><p>The fact that Roku is public complicates matters. And in Google's case, it already does manufacture an OTT device in Chromecast.</p><p>Some don't see Roku having any interest in selling. Others see Facebook as a natural acquirer, given its interest in TV ads and the fact that it doesn't make any OTT hardware.</p><p>"They could overnight put Facebook Watch on every Roku TV," said Bologna.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/john-carreyrou-how-theranos-deceived-silicon-valley-startup-bad-blood-sample-technology-2018-5">How a $9 billion startup deceived Silicon Valley</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

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